Helicopter traps speeding drivers

The helicopter has been used to take photographs of cannabis plants

A police helicopter will continue to be used to catch speeding motorists in Kent and Essex, but only while it is out on other calls, police have said.

The craft has been fitted with powerful cameras which can read motorists' registration plates from the sky.

The helicopter has already been used to catch one speeding driver in Kent while it was on a search and rescue mission.

But Nigel Humphries of the Association of British Drivers said speeding should only be monitored from the ground.

"The way it should be worked is that the police officer decides a person is going too fast for the conditions, then uses the radar gun to check what speed they're doing," he said.

"Then they can produce evidence to prosecute them for that. You can't do that from 3000 feet."

'Good deterrent'

The helicopter, which has been in use since late April, is shared by police in Kent and Essex.

A spokesman for the Kent force explained that the craft would not be sent out specifically to target speeding.

"That's not an effective use of the helicopter, but officers are in it every time it's up, so if they spot something it's absolutely right that they should act," said Ch Insp Richard Watson.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, agreed with the way the helicopter is being used.

"It's a very good deterrent, a lot of the time with speeding what you are doing is deterring people, not catching them," he said.

Since April, the helicopter has been used to find burglary suspects, to help officers police football matches and to gather evidence of cannabis-growing.